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Orlando, Fla. — Scientists have found that pressure from the fluid surrounding the brain plays a role in maintaining proper eye function, opening a new direction for treating glaucoma — the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla.

Using a rat model, researchers found that elevating the pressure of the fluid surrounding the brain can counterbalance elevated pressure in the eye, preventing the optic nerve from bending backward. Rats with higher fluid pressure from the brain maintained their ability to respond to light better than rats with lower pressure.

The brain and eye are connected by the optic nerve. In diseases like glaucoma — where vision loss is associated with elevated pressure within the eye — the optic nerve bows backward, away from the eye and toward the brain. This investigation might explain why some people with normal eye pressure develop glaucoma, and why people with intraocular pressure never develop the condition.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include some 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 70 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.

All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting represent previously unpublished data and conclusions. This research may be proprietary or may have been submitted for journal publication. Embargo policy: Journalists must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data from paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation.